Excess Surplus Value, excess of surplus value appropriated by an individual capitalist thanks to the lower individual value of the commodity produced at his enterprises, as compared to the social value of this commodity. Excess surplus value is a type of relative surplus value, since both result from higher labour productivity. Yet, unlike relative surplus value obtained from the higher social productivity of labour, the source of excess surplus value is the higher individual productivity achieved at a given enterprise thanks to new techniques, progressive technology and improved methods of production organisation. The individual value of a given commodity falls below the social value determined by the average social conditions of its production, and the capitalist sells that commodity at a higher social value. The result is a gap between the social and individual value, which enables the given capitalist to derive additional income in excess of the normal surplus value he would obtain in accordance with the general rate of surplus value. The possibility of making excess surplus value impels the capitalists to introduce discoveries made in science and technology in production, to improve technological processes and to organise production and labour more rationally. These technical innovations are kept secret, which hampers overall technical progress. The production and appropriation of excess surplus value is a temporary occurrence: as soon as scientific and technical achievements are assimilated by most of the producers in a given industry, the social value of a given commodity falls, and the excess surplus value disappears. Yet it can be obtained at other capitalist enterprises where more improved instruments of labour, technological processes, etc. are employed, which again lowers the individual value of the commodities thus produced. The appropriation of excess surplus value encourages the concentration of production, since big business is in a position to use all the achievements of science and technology in production. In the course of competition, the big capitalists can price their goods below the social value, sacrificing part of the excess surplus value and thus ruining their rivals. The possibility of obtaining excess surplus value is especially important in the epoch of imperialism. Big monopolies obtain superprofits not only through maintaining high monopoly prices; they also introduce scientific and technical achievements in production in order to gain an edge over small and medium capitalists. Because of this, excess surplus value becomes a stable source of monopoly superprofit. The acceleration of scientific and technical progress in the current scientific and technological revolution enables big monopoly capital derive huge superprofits.